Improvement in joints for carriage-tops



.J. E. REEVES. Joint for Carriage-Top.

No. 197,666. P atented Nov. 27, I877.

IN ENTOR WITNESSES V F. N On 0 T T A N. Perms, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHlNG .UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMEs E. REEVES, or sr JOSEPH, Mrssounr.

IMPROVEMENT IN JOINTS FOR CARRIAGE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,666, dated November 27, 1877 application filed September 15, 1877.

tion of the construction and operation of the.

same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention in perspective; and Fig. 2 is a side View of the same.

This invention has relation to joints for connecting and operating buggy-tops; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the extension-slide, having a looped end and fitted by flat surfaces to the'main arm of the joint, the L-shaped handle, and the mode of connecting the arms together and to the bows, as hereinafter shown and described.

Inthe accompanying drawings, the letterA designates the main arm of the joint, having an expanded circular end, a, of half the thickness of the arm at the concave shoulder 12, and designed to receive the similarly-rounded end a of the short arm B of the joint, the two arms being pivoted together by the rivet d, which passes entirely through the joint ends a and c, which are countersunk on the outside to receive the rivet -l1eads. Under the expanded joint ends are the abutting shoulders e, which are located slightly above a linejoining the screw-holes f at the extremities of the joint where it is fastened tothe bows. The main rivet-joint d is therefore located considerably above the line between said screw-holes; and when the joint is straight, it is automatically braced in position by the end pressure of the bows. The bow ends 9 of the jointarms are oifset inward slightly, to clear the bow when let down, as it is located on the in side of the top in a concealed position near the springing points of the arches, usually under the fringe.

The main arm A is made in two parts, so that it can be extended to suit tops of different dimensions. The shank portion 1; is straight, and has a flat inside or contact surface, k, to correspond with a similar fiat contact-surface on the slide or extension 0. This latter part has an end loop, I, which is passed over the shank h, and a series of perforations, m, whereby its adjustment is regulated, the shank and slide being fastened together, when adjusted, by suitable rivet or screw 8, through a hole, n, in the shank near its end. To the main arm A, near the main joint, is attached the L-shaped handle, D, which extends below the fringe,and serves to pull down or push up the joint, when necessary. This joint is designed to be-attached on the inside of the top, as stated, extending from the back bow to the next one in front of it, one on each side; and

it can be readily adjusted to sizes in use, which vary according to the depths of the seats and tops.

Having described this invention, I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- I 1. The buggy-top joint havingthe adjustable extension or slide G looped on the shank h of the main arm, the perforations m a, and fastening s, substantially as specified.

2. The buggy-top joint consisting of the short arm B and the looped extensible arm A,

having the downwardly projecting L-shaped JAMEs E. EEEvEs.

Witnesses R. W. MUSSER, JOHN McGULLoUcH, 

